Her Scent
by MissKiku
Summary: One day, Keaton finds himself able to identify Corrin's scent and of course that can only go well, especially when he smells her in different places around the castle and on different people. Keaton/Corrin because there's not enough of that around.


He loved her scent. Warm and homely, smelling faintly of soap and the wood from her treehouse. It was something he noticed at the most inopportune of times. In the heat of battle, facing a cluster of giant Faceless, Keaton watched the Princess in awe. Corrin cleaved through a Faceless with her Yato, her silver hair flowing behind her as she danced through the monsters. A grotesque roar and the creature collapsed. She spun on her feet, slicing in an arch at a Faceless metres from him. The ground shuddered beneath its weight as it fell. His breath hitched in his throat. He'd been seconds from being pummelled. All because of her.

"You all right?" Corrin asked, crimson eyes glistening like her smile, fuelled with a battle-induced adrenalin rush.

A hot flush rose across his cheeks. "I could've taken that one… but… I guess I can thank you for it."

Corrin giggled, light and sweet and all he could see was her. "You're tail's wagging," she said and teasingly patted his shoulder.

His cheeks burnt with her words. "It's not wagging! My tail's not wagging!" he cried, swiping at the offending appendage. She laughed again and his ears shot forward to catch every note of that beautiful sound. His tail flicked a steady beat behind him. She adjusted her grip on her sword, gave him a gentle smile and a nod, before rushing back into the fray.

It was as she moved past him that he caught her scent. It overpowered the dank smell of sweat and blood; the fresh aroma of shampoo and something that was overwhelmingly _her._ It was all he could think of for the rest of the battle.

After that fleeting encounter, Keaton began to smell her everywhere. He could tell when she'd just left the mess hall, her scent lingering in the doorway yet she was nowhere inside. He'd stop midsentence, proudly showing off his newest treasure to Kaden, when he caught a whiff of her in the breeze. His words died in his throat, leaving the nine-tailed fox to stare at him blankly. Keaton would scan the courtyard, knowing that he'd only missed her by moments. It drove him insane.

And then he'd noticed her scent in the hot spring and promptly burst into a flaming blush. The idea that she'd just been here, bathing in the same water, her softly flowing hair and milky skin in full view, it was too much. He stormed straight out, gaining a few confused looks from those who'd noticed.

He rushed out into the frosty air, almost colliding with Kaden who gave him a lopsided grin. "What's the hurry?" Kaden asked.

Keaton went to answer when he breathed what could only be _her_ on him. "Y-You–!" He froze, seeing the light dusting of pink on the fox's cheeks, the way his neatly brushed fur wore her fragrance like perfume. The way Kaden hummed lightly with that stupid goofy grin of his told Keaton enough. He'd been to see her.

"Isn't my fur beautiful? Lady Corrin's an expert groomer! I'm going to have to repay the favour next time!"

 _Next time._ Keaton's face heated up, burning across his cheeks. Images flashed in his mind; Corrin running her hands through the nine-tail's fur, her fingers brushing his hair, his ears, his cheeks– Kaden doing the same thing to _her._

Keaton tore away from the nine-tailed fox, his feet and an unfamiliar envy driving him towards her treehouse. He shot up the steps and flung the door open without a second thought. Corrin glanced up from her book at the noise from where she sat on her bed.

"Hello, Keaton," she greeted warmly. "If you're looking for Kaden, you just missed him."

"I'm not looking for him!" Keaton barked. Heat rose to his ears as he breathed in the fox's smell. It permeated every inch of the room, the doorway, the stairs. It reeked over the sweet scent of Corrin.

"Then how can I help you?" Corrin asked, dog-earing the page and closing her book. She stood up off her bed and approached him with a curious smile. Keaton froze, a new warmth pooling in his stomach. Why did he come here? He cast a glance behind her. Her butler was nowhere to be seen. She'd been alone when he barged in.

Corrin beckoned him in and he obeyed silently, swallowing the lump in his throat. The door clicked shut behind him and he jumped. It was just the two of them now. His heart pounded in his chest, ears flicking towards every noise, every movement Corrin made. Her feet padded softly on the carpet until she stopped just behind him. Keaton's breath died in his lungs. Her hand graced his fur and he jumped, whirling away from her.

"Wh-What are you doing?" he cried, smoothing down where she'd touched. His blood grew enflamed as Corrin's cheeks coloured.

"Sorry, your fur just looks so fluffy, I couldn't help myself," she admitted sheepishly. She gave him a soft smile, apologetic and embarrassed.

"Well… if you want to groom me that badly then I guess I'll let you," Keaton said before his mind caught up with his mouth. His blush returned as her smile lit up. "M-My fur's said to be the best on the mountain. Isn't that awesome?" He tore his eyes from her as she giggled.

"I'd better to a really good job, then," she said and took his hand. Keaton flinched at the touch. This couldn't be a part of it, right? His heart lurched in his chest, thundering away so loudly he was afraid she'd hear. Corrin led him over to her bed and sat him down before sitting behind him.

"Let me know if I hurt you, okay?" she said, tentatively touching his fur.

Keaton fisted his hand into her quilt, a strange warmth enveloping his body. "Mm…"

Her fingers were gentle, her touches gentle and soft and like nothing he'd ever felt. She worked her fingers into his fur, touching achingly close to his neck, his skin. He hoped she couldn't see how red his cheeks were or the affect she was having over him. He squeezed his eyes shut, commanding himself to stay put, willing his self-control not to break. Her fingers brushed his ear and he yelped. Corrin yanked back her hands, her ministrations stilling.

"S-Sorry!" Corrin apologised quickly and Keaton cursed himself mentally. "I didn't mean to– Did that hurt?"

"No! It's fine, you can… you can touch my ears if you want…" His voice trailed off into a mumble. How could he tell her how sensitive his ears were and just by her simple touch it warmed him straight to his core?

"Are you sure?" Her fingers were still withdrawn and Keaton ached to feel her touch again.

"Y-Yeah. My ears are pretty big, aren't they?" He needed to distract himself, to cool down the flush burning on his face, if he was going to survive this. "They're amazing, aren't they?"

Corrin's giggle had the reverse affect, reheating his blush. "They definitely are." Her hands returned to their work, and soon found their way up to his ears again. Keaton sucked in a breath, clenched her quilt in his fingers and clamped his eyes shut. This was going to be the end of him.

Her soft fingers traced the shell of his ear, softly running along the outside. His breath wavered, her touch his undoing. Each ministration, each gentle brush and touch of his ears sent jolts of warmth through his body. He _knew_ his tail was wagging behind him.

Corrin hummed behind him. "They're so soft."

Oh, gods. Keaton swallowed, trying to ignore the wonder in her voice, how close it was, how breathy she sounded…

"I guess you and Kaden are pretty similar, huh?"

Keaton froze, her words shooting ice through his body. "What?"

"Well, you both like being petted like this, and you've both got really soft ears–"

Keaton turned and snatched her hands in his. Her gasp of surprise melted under his heated gaze as he drew closer to her. The pounding of his heart drowned out any thoughts resembling common sense.

"You did this to him, too?" Keaton asked, drawing her towards him with a gentle tug on her hands. Her lips parted and his eyes flicked to them. He swallowed. They looked so soft, so warm… he drew in a tight breath, the scent of Kaden narrowing his eyes.

"What did you do with him?" he asked again.

"Wh-What?"

"Why do you smell like him?"

A red flush painted across her cheeks and a surge of envy washed over Keaton. Why was she blushing? What had they done together that made her blush like that?

"W-We didn't– he just hugged me as he left, that's all," she said, tearing her eyes away.

"Then why won't you look at me?" Keaton drew closer again until they were only inches apart. Corrin pulled back, tugging on her hands, but Keaton didn't release her.

"K-Keaton… please let me go." She still refused to meet his eyes.

"Not until you tell me why!" He leant around her, trying to catch her crimson eyes, but she looked away, staring down at the quilt between them. "Do you like him that much? That you can't even look at me?"

"No!" Corrin swallowed and drew her eyes up. They were so full of warmth and so dark they sent a spear of heat through him. "It's b-because you're doing things like _this…_ You think I'd be able to act normal when it's just the two of us?"

Keaton's jaw dropped. Heat burst across his cheeks tenfold and he snapped his hands back as if her touch had burnt him. "Th-This is your fault! Those hands of yours are dangerous!"

" _My fault?_ You're the one insinuating things between me and Kaden!"

"Th-Then… you didn't–? But you still smell like him!" Keaton leant forward, sniffing at her neck discerningly. Corrin yelped and shoved him away from her.

"Don't sniff me!" she cried, her blush matching his. "He just hugged me, that's all."

Keaton pouted before his mind retraced back to what she had said. "What did you mean 'when it's just the two of us?'"

"You still don't get it?" Corrin met his eyes and bravely touched his cheek with her hand.

Keaton didn't think he could blush any harder. He took the hand brushing his cheek in his and leant forward, weaving his fingers between hers. "Not unless you tell me."

He stared back into her crimson eyes, watching the way they scanned over his features, down across his face and landed on his lips. She looked back up at him and tilted her head. Her breath dusted his lips. Keaton closed the distance between them and pressed his lips gently against hers.

They were soft. So soft, so warm, and so gentle as she kissed him back. Her free hand wove itself into his fur, drawing him closer, the kiss becoming firmer and needier. Keaton's mind span. He was kissing her. Pressing his lips harder, firmer against hers, parting only to reclaim her lips with a stolen breath. Her scent permeated his senses, and it drove him made with desire, wanting only her. Wanting to taste her.

Keaton shot back at that thought, breaking the kiss. He gasped for breath, panting, his breath hot and the air cold against his lips. Corrin blinked at him with half-lidded eyes, lips still parted. His kisses left her lips red, her cheeks flushed and lungs gasping for air. He had done that to her. Keaton flushed harder and covered his mouth with his hand.

Corrin recovered first. "Well, I certainly didn't do that with Kaden."

Keaton pouted, the name of his friend on her lips renewing a surge of confidence in him. He drew his hand around the back of her head and before she could protest, pulled her forward and kissed her again. She gasped against his lips and a warm shiver jolted through him. This kiss, though abrupt and needy, didn't last as long. Keaton pulled away, eliciting a breathy whine from Corrin.

"Do… do I still need to tell you…?" Corrin asked, still panting with flushed cheeks.

"Yeah. Otherwise I won't get it." Keaton curled his bottom lip, staring at the blushing Princess.

She grinned with a bubbly giggle. "I love you, Keaton."

He struggled to meet her eyes as he fought his blush. "Mm… I l-love you too."


End file.
